THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 7, 1996 TAG: 9602070387
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B5 EDITION: FINAL
DATELINE: JACKSONVILLE, FLA. LENGTH: Medium: 54 lines
Meredith Lawrence Butterton, 72, went to be with the Lord on Sunday, Feb. 4, 1996, after a long courageous battle with cancer.
Mr. Butterton was born Jan. 22, 1924, in Newport News. He graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Portsmouth in the class of 1942 1/2. He immediately went into the U.S. Army and eventually participated in the invasion of Normandy, France; the Battle of the Bulge; and the Huertgen Forest campaigns in Europe and was awarded five campaign stars. After serving his country, Mr. Butterton came home to Portsmouth and married Virginia Dare Warren on Jan. 12, 1946. He attended the college of William and Mary and the Banks College of Business before joining the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad in 1948. He served his Lord at the Port Norfolk Baptist Church. In 1956, Mr. Butterton joined the Norfolk Southern Cooperation and moved to Glen Allen, Va. He faithfully served at the Glen Allen Baptist Church and led in several community organizations.
Mr. Butterton was transferred to Raleigh, N.C., in 1963. He served at St. John's Baptist Church in Raleigh and became regional vice president of Freedoms Foundations at Valley Forge. He presented many awards in patriotism, Americanism and good citizenship to Americans in all walks of life and was three times the recipient of the distinguished George Washington Honor Medal Award. He was the author of the book ``Metric 16'' giving a graphic account of many campaigns and based on personal interviews with a host of top ranking Generals of the Army as well as other top World War II commanders. In 1984, while participating in the 40th anniversary of the Normandy campaign in World War II, he was made an honorary citizen of Blagdon, England, by the townspeople of that village. Mr. Butterton was transferred to Jacksonville, Fla., in 1974. He served faithfully at Southside Baptist Church. He was involved in civic duties, serving on the American Freedom Train Commission, the Boy Scout Council of Northeast, Fla., the Opera Co. of Jacksonville and was president of the Jacksonville Exchange Club. He was nominated by the Jacksonville JAYCEES as the ``Florida American of the Year.''
``Papa'' was an enthusiastic, kind, and loving husband, father, and grandfather. His humor, love and enthusiasm for life will be greatly missed by those that knew him. He is survived by his wife, Virginia Dare Butterton of Jacksonville; son and daughter-in-law, Larry and Bonnie Butterton; grandchildren, Mary Virginia and Meredith Butterton, Joshua Hoffman, all of Apex, N.C.; son and daughter-in-law, David and Karen Butterton of Woodstock, Ga.; sister and brother-in-law, Agnes and Earl Burton; sister and brother-in-law, Muriel and Richard Salinas, all of Orlando, Fla.
A funeral service was held at Southside Baptist Church today. A graveside funeral will be at noon Friday in Olive Branch Cemetery. Loving Funeral Home, Churchland, is in charge.
KEYWORDS: DEATH OBITUARY by CNB